Method for washing spongy material



J 1952 J. 'r. MARVIN EI'AL METHOD FOR WASHING SPONGY MATERIAL FiledMarch 5, 1948 Patented Jan. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHODFOR WASHING SPONGY MATERIAL Application March 3, 1948, Serial No. 12,7084 Claims. (Cl. 134-9) This invention relates to washing machines and isparticularly directed to processes for washing spongy resilientmaterials and the like.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method forwashing spongy resilient material, such as sponge made from foamedlatices or from chemically blown rubbers, etc.

A further object of the invention is to provide a washing method whereinthe spongy resilient material is progressively washed at a series ofstations for removing soluble ingredients therein.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention areclearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a view in section of one type of washing apparatus which maybe used satisfactorily for washing spongy resilient material.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view of another design of apparatus.

Fig. 4 shows one type of securing means which may be used to locate andhold articles to the belt.

Spongy resilient material as defined herein may include resilientplastic sponges, sponge from latex foam, sponge from chemically blownrubber-like material, such as, natural rubber, reclaimed rubber andsynthetic rubber which may include butadiene-styrene copolymers,butadieneacrylonitrile copolymers, polychloroprene mixtures of any ofthe foregoing and in fact, any material which is spongy and resilient incharacter.

In the manufacture of most sponges, soaps or other materials are used inthe compounding which are not desirable in the sponge after formationand during use thereof. It is highly desirable in this case to removethese undesirable soluble materials from the sponge so that the spongeis clean and free from any material which may have a deleterious efiectthereon over long periods of time during use.

Numerous expedients have been proposed for washing sponges. Most ofthese expedients utilize wringers in series and are extremely expensiveand require large installations of equipment and machinery. The presentmethod and apparatus is directed to a facile solution of the problemwherein the sponge is washed properly in a continuous process andwherein the equipment is inexpensive, compact and readily set up.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, a tank 20 is shown which preferablyincludes three compartments 22, 24 and 26 separated by walls 28 and 30.The walls 28 and 30 have apertures 32 and 34 therein respectively. Theends of the tank. as shown at 36, 38, also have apertures therein,namely 40 and 42. An endless conveyor belt 44 is provided which ispreferably perforated or made of permeable material and passes throughthe apertures 42, 34, 32 and 40 and around rollers or cogs 46 and 48which may be used to power the device through attachment with a suitablemotor. The belt II also passes between three similar pairs of perforatedplates 50 and 52. The plates 52 are maintained in position within thetank 20 on standards 54' while the plates 50 are attached to suitablereciprocating mechanisms 56 which may be driven by any suitable meanssuch as a motor attached to a cam, hydraulically operated cylinders andthe like. Water is supplied to the tank 20 through an inlet BI] and isdrawn off through an outlet 62. The outlet 62 preferably includes apump, not shown. Thus, water flows into the first compartment 22 throughthe aperture 32 into compartment 24 through aperture 34 into compartment26 and thencethrough outlet 62 to the waste. Sponge articles 66 areprogressively fed upon the belt 44 and are moved into the tank thereby.The belt driving device is so adjusted that as a sponge article reachesthe position shown in tank 26, the belt stops for a predetermined periodof time whereupon the reciprocating device 56 operates to alternatelysqueeze and release the sponge under water and between plates 50 and 52.After a predetermined time of reciprocation. the plates 50 aremaintained raised in position and the belt moves a distance sufficientto bring said spongy article under the second reciprocating device,while moving another article into the first position, etc. Adiagrammatic showing of a means for intermittently moving the belt isshown in connection with the roller 48, which roller is connected to agear 49 which is engageable with a second gear 5|. The gear 5! is drivenby the motor. It will be noted that the gear 5| only includes teeth on aportion of its periphery, the size of the two gears 49 and 5! and theextent of the teeth on gear 5| being regulated so as to move the beltonly the desired distance between washing stations and to permit thebelt to remain stationary at each washing station a desired period. Itis apparent that any other suitable means may be used for this purpose,such as slip clutches, intermittently operated clutches or electricallyoperated magnetic clutches, and the like, the mecha- 2,sss,1ss

nism shown being one of the many ways of accomplishing the movementdesired.

In this manner, each spongy article is washed through alternatecompression and release three times in progressively cleaner water,since the water in tank 22 is fresh water while the water in tank 26 hasthe highest concentration of soluble ingredients therein. It is apparentthat if more complete washing is desired, four or five or any number oftanks may be used wherein the flow of water is countercurrent to thewashing operation.

After the sponge article passes the final station, it emerges from thewash tank and passes between a pair of pressure rollers 88 wherein it issqueezed to remove excess water which runs back into the tank.

Fig. 2 shows the design of the tank at the inlet and outlet thereofwhere a pair of rollers III are used on each side of the belt 44 topermit upward bending of the belt M. It is apparent that the apparatus,as shown in the invention, is simple to construct and operate andprovides a continuous equipment for washing sponge articles. In allcases, the alternate squeezing and releasing of the article may becarried out at different rates of reciprocation in order to obtain thebest results compatible with the thickness of the article being washed.Preferably we prefer to squeeze the article and release the same at arate varying from ten to forty times a minute, although this figure isin no way limiting since it is apparent that on very thick articles, therate may have to be slower for satisfactory operation and on very thinarticles it may be desirable to even use a more rapid reciprocation.Another controlling factor of this rate is the porosity or sponginess ofthe article. Coarse sponges are more adapted to rapid reciprocation thanare fine, small pored sponges and all of these factors must beconsidered when setting up the apparatus. In any event, the squeezingrate is not of any great importance provided effective washing isobtained and for this reason, it is best to arrive at said rate by trialfor a specific article or articles to be washed. Obviously, fewerarticles can be washed in a given apparatus at a slow rate than at afast rate and therefore, it is apparent that the faster the rate, themore productive the apparatus will be, but again, this rate is governedto some extent by thickness, pore size and the like.

It is also within the scope of this invention to utilize a single tankwith no partitions, providing the flow of washing fluid is sumcientlyfast to carry off the soluble ingredients and thereby permitsatisfactory washing. The use of the partitions in the preferredembodiment is to maintain segregated bodies of washing fluid havingprogressively greater quantities of the soluble ingredients therein, butit is manifest that if the fiow of fluid is sufliciently great, thesepartitions are unnecessary. Obviously, the greater the flow, the morefluid is required and therefore economics enter into the specificdesign. It is further apparent that the pressure devices or plattens maybe reversed so that the bottom platten reciprocates while the upperplatten is stationary or both plattens may reciprocate. Any of thesemodifications are clearly within the scope of the invention.

Fig. 3 shows a modification of the belt design wherein two belts 44 and45 are used which are disposed above and below the article to be washed.The belts are synchronized in movement and maintain the articles inposition. In all embodiments, that is, either the single-belt or thetwo-belt type, the spongy articles may be secured to the belt to preventdisplacement by any suitable means, one of which is shown in Fig. 4 atIi, where a spring clip is secured to the belt under which a portion ofthe spongy article may be held and which is automatically released asthe clip goes around the final roller. In most cases, securing means areunnecessary although with very low density sponges it may beadvantageous to provide such expedients.

While the embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed,constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A step-by-step process for removing soluble ingredients from spongyresilient articles, comprising the steps of, progressively advancing anarticle to be washed through a plurality of washing stations after apredetermined time delay at each station, alternately rapidly squeezingand releasing said article during each time delay and continuouslyflowing water in a direction countercurrent to the advancement of thearticle in quantities sufficient and of sufficient depth to at leastsubmerge the article during each period of time delay for effecting awashing of the article.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 including the added step ofsqueezing the water out of the article as it emerges from the lastwashing station.

3. In a continuous washing process for sponge rubber-like articles, thesteps comprising, progressively conveying a sponge rubber-like articlethrough a plurality of washing stations after a predetermined time delayat each station, washing the article by reciprocating the same duringeach time delay through alternate pressure and release, flowing washingwater countercurrent to the direction of conveying the article inquantities sufficient and of suflicient depth to submerge the article atleast during said washing periods for removing soluble materials fromthe article.

4. The method claimed in claim 3 wherein the sponge rubber-like articleis squeezed to remove water therefrom as it emerges from the lastwashing station.

JOHN T. MARVIN. GEORGE H. McFADDEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 238,514 McAllister Mar. 8, 18811,629,038 Leightlitner May 17, 1927 1,672,327 Lormer June 5. 19281,750,426 Partridge Mar. 11, 1930 1,857,812 Hiatt et al. May 10, 19321,875,984 Bosshard Sept. 6, 1932 2,171,072 Tingle Aug. 29, 19392,199,372 Haertel Apr. 30, 1940 2,344,987 Hyatt Mar. 28, 1944 2,468,477Rhodes Apr. 5, 1949

